Harry Potter and the Tails of Change (Rewrite)
by Karou WindStalker
Summary: It's the end of the third year and Harry's home for the holidays. The Dursley's are on holiday and Harry is studying over the summer, doing research on Animagus transformations. In this story, Tonks is two years younger than Canon. Rated M for Ch3 on. This story is AU, and will include F/F relations, so be warned.
1. Holidays, Homework, and Happy Birthday

Harry Potter and the Tails of Change

Disclaimer : I do not own any of the Harry Potter characters, nor do I own any of the settings that JKR created in Harry's world. Any resemblance to anyone; living, dead, or imagined, is purely coincidental, and not intended on my part.

A/N : This is a work of fiction, and I have altered reality from how JKR wrote things. First off, Nymphadora Tonks is a 6th year when Harry is in his first. Second, this story starts off in the summer between Harry's third and fourth years, so he has met Sirius, and knows he's innocent. Third, I'm having Harry be just a wee bit more intelligent, and have something more of a backbone by this time in his life. This story may include relations between two consenting females, so if that doesn't float your boat, you have been warned here, and can take appropriate action.

Chapter 1 : Holidays, Homework, and Happy Birthday

Harry struggled awake, fighting with the thin sheets that covered his lumpy bed. Finally freeing himself, he checked the time, the old, much abused digital clock showed the time to be eight am. He then checked the window, looking to see if any owls were winging their way toward him, bearing packages from his friends from school.

Seeing none he decided it was best to attempt to do his homework, having hidden his trunk and school supplies earlier in the summer. He arranged his supplies on the top of his trunk, knowing that this would be the best work space he currently could use.

Smiling, knowing that his relatives were away this week, Harry stretched his lanky frame out on his bed and began reading the chapters relevant to the essay he was attempting. "Animagi and how to recognize them." Professor McGonagall had assigned him this as an extra credit report, letting him also 'borrow' the books that related to finding out if you could become an Animagi, and what your form might be.

Harry was quite intrigued by the possibility that he might be an Animagus, and what his form could be. His father, his godfather, and the person who ultimately betrayed the trust he was shown, all had become Animagi in their fifth year, all to help their mutual friend with his 'furry little problem'.

Studying the book, Harry came across the potion that was required to help the Wizard or Witch to find not only if they could become an Animagus, but what their shape would be. He also knew that he could brew the potion, safely, here at his relative's house, while they were away. It didn't require many esoteric ingredients, nor did it have an exceedingly long brewing time.

He checked through his potion supplies and took out each ingredient he had, finding that, for once, he was completely prepared to do this thing. Taking his time to prepare the ingredients properly, Harry set about carefully brewing the potion, adding the ingredients at the right time and stirring in the correct fashion. "Add the essence of violets and stir three times clockwise for every four times counterclockwise for three minutes." read the second to last step in the instructions. Harry made sure to stir correctly, watching the cauldron's contents turn an odd sickly green, which is what the textbook said it would look like.

Harry then read the last instruction, which was to bring the heat under the cauldron to full intensity, with a timer built in to slowly reduce the heat over half an hour, each reduction would cause a shift in the color of the potion. Watching over the potion, Harry seemed to bounce on his toes in excitement. He was going to take a big step in being the next generation of Marauders if he could pull this off successfully.

After the potion had cooled off, Harry carefully poured it into one of the many glass phials that were stored in his trunk. He then contemplated the liquid, which was now a strange russet red, then with a salute to the memory of his father and a thought for his godfather, who was somewhere safe until Harry or someone else came across Pettigrew and turned him over to the DMLE for trial. He then quaffed the potion in a swift gulp, grimacing slightly at the taste before the potion took effect.

Harry had taken the textbook at face value when it said to imbibe the potion 'somewhere safe and comfortable', and was curled up on his bed.

{Harry saw what appeared to be a dark, black, ancient forest, older and more rooted in mysticism than the Forbidden Forest. He was in a clearing, surrounded by shrubbery and large trees, the sensation of being watched coming over him as he scanned the circumference of the clearing. He sat down in the middle, next to a small circle of stones which looked like a fire pit.}

{He then relaxed, broadcasting his intentions non-verbally, letting the beings of this forest know that he meant no harm unless harm was attempted upon him. He then noticed a pair of luminescent green eyes peering at him from the opposite side of the clearing.}

{Trying to decipher what sort of creature it was just based on where the eyes were was slightly frustrating, so Harry quietly spoke, "Hello there. My name's Harry, I came here in search of my animagus form. If you are my form, could you please come there I can see you?"}

{Harry got a feeling that his words amused the being watching him. Then a the being let out a chortling yap before entering the clearing. He was startled to see that it was a fox, though slightly larger and more muscular than an ordinary fox. When it came close he noticed that it had twinned tails. "Are you kitsune?" he asked boldly. The fox nodded its head, then curled up in Harry's lap, a sense of belonging filling the young wizard as he daringly pet the representation of his form, trying to remember what he had read about kitsune in school.}

{There was another rustle of the bushes as another being came out of the darkness. This one was more of a surprise than the first. What appeared before Harry appeared at first to be a wolf, but built more along the lines of a panther. Taking in the 'wolf' more carefully, Harry noticed more and more things which made him think the animal was a blending of feline and lupine.}

{Harry looked between the two beings, "Are you saying that I have two forms?" The Wolf/Cat nodded, then a sort of communication was broadcast by the kitsune in his lap. -Yes, little one. We are both your Animagus forms. A lot of Wizards don't brew the potion as exactly as you did and only discover their first form.- Harry blinked at that, then smiled, "I can't wait to tell Sirius about this."}

{Both animals grinned at Harry's enthusiasm, then slowly began to 'pour' themselves into his body and fade from existence as he began to wake up from the potion.}

Harry shook his head as he raised himself from his bed, a huge grin on his face as he searched for a quill and parchment.

Dearest Padfoot!

You wouldn't believe what I just discovered! Professor McGonagall assigned me an essay on Animagi and how to recognize them. She also let me borrow any books I felt might help me understand the process which it took to become an animagus.

Well, I decided to take a page out of your and dad's handbook and found the book you used when you decided to help Moony.

Yes, that's right, Godfather, the next generation of Marauders is really here. I brewed the potion, following all the steps correctly. I then found out something amazing.

Apparently wizards who can be Animagi can have two forms, but most don't brew the potion correctly and only discover the easier animal to become!

I'll conclude this letter by saying that I think you'll be surprised to learn what my forms are, and hope that you're keeping yourself out of trouble until we catch that blasted Rat.

~Your Godson,

Harry Potter

P.S. : I'll talk to Moony about what nickname I should use.

He then read over the parchment and smiled, wondering what Sirius' expression would be when he read this. He then folded the letter up and traced a rune that Hermione had found for him onto the parchment, causing it to seal itself together until the intended recipient was alone. He then looked up and saw that Hedwig, his Snowy Owl, had returned from her latest hunt and was also bearing the latest care package from the Weasley family. "Hello, girl, you have a good hunt?" A positive sounding hoot made him smile, "Would you mind terribly if I sent you out with a note to Padfoot?" A negative sounding hoot this time made Harry smile even more. He then carefully tied the parchment to

Hedwig's leg and said, "You don't have to wait for a response, girl, just make sure he's alone when you find him, all right?" One last doleful, yet positive hoot answered him before the Snowy Owl flew off into the gathering dusk.

Harry's stomach then rumbled, reminding him that he hadn't eaten since breakfast. He got up and, rummaging through his trunk, came out with the box of food Mrs. Weasley had sent him, smiling, thinking of the kind, matronly woman who was more or less a surrogate mother for him.

Taking out a sandwich, Harry wondered what his friends were up to. He snickered at the thought of what Hermione would say if she knew he was attempting to become an Animagus; "Harry! That's too dangerous to do on your own! It's monitored for a reason, you know! I read that very bad things could happen if a Wizard tried to do this without proper supervision! You're too young to try anyway! You haven't had training with Advanced Transfiguration yet, and that's where human transfiguration is covered!" She'd then proceed to take the potion herself and see if she could become an Animagus herself, so she could watch over Harry.

Ron, on the other hand, would most likely utter something along the lines of; "Blimey, Harry, you figure you can do it? Wicked! D'you think I could, you know, try to do it too?"

Chewing on the corn-beef sandwich, Harry then grinned at the thought of telling Ginny, his mind picturing the petite red head, he knew she'd be intrigued and would do her best to attempt to become an Animagus herself, despite being a year under him in school.

Harry then perused the book more, reading on how to practice becoming the animal that was your Animagus form. "Take things in tiny steps at first, say with fingers and toes before moving to hands and feet. Once you are comfortable with the progress of that part of the transformation, begin on the next part of the body. Aways leave the head for last, as this change requires the wizard to keep his mind while in the animal's shape."

Reading the descriptions of what could go wrong if the transformation was rushed, Harry silently vowed to take each step carefully and with due care. He then started concentrating on the first joint of the fingers on his right hand, envisioning them becoming the first joint of a fox' paw. He blinked when he seemed to get it after just a few tries.

Emboldened by this success, Harry tried to change the next joints, picturing in his mind the shift from human to fox. Half an hour later, Harry was able to change his entire right hand to a fox's paw and back almost instantaneously.

Harry then ate a bit more of his care package, this time picking out a piece of the treacle tart that was Mrs. Weasley's speciality. He smiled at the thought of the possibility that he could finish his mastery of the fox form before the start of the new school year. "I wonder what mischief I can manage while no one is aware of the fact I can become a fox. Perhaps I can even prank the Twins!"

He then heard a low curse from outside as someone caught their toes on one of the loose stones in the yard. This was one of his many ways of telling that he had people watching over him to keep him safe. "Sounded sort of like that Trainee Auror, Tonks. I know she just graduated this past term and was under the guidance of Moody."

Harry smiled at the memory of meeting the paranoid senior Auror. Dumbledore had introduced Harry to the man who would be taking up the position of Professor for Defense Against the Dark Arts. Harry had been given this honor because Albus had wanted Harry to have extra training for the time when Voldemort regained his own body.

Moody, also known as 'Mad Eye' was now sequestered at Hogwarts after an unsuccessful attempt by a Death Eater to overcome the man and take his place at the school. Thankfully the Death Eater in question, one Bartemious Crouch Jr decided to attempt his attack when both Dumbledore and Flitwick were visiting Moody.

The grizzled retired Auror had been heard to comment, "Bloody sniveling traitor, couldn't even do the honorable thing and die in Azkaban. Your father will go down with you for this one, you wretched whelp!"

Harry smiled as he remembered Sirius' response to his retelling of the tale, "Oooh, just a bit vindictive, weren't you, godfather? Though, I can't say I blame you, as Senior was the bloke who tossed your arse in Azkaban without as much as a pretense to a trial."

He then peeked out of the window and gazed down at the yard, trying to discern just where his 'watch' was at the moment. He smiled as he noticed the shrubbery at the corner of the house rustling as someone tried to slide past it unsuccessfully. He then whispered down, "Wotcher, Tonks." He was rewarded for his efforts with a string of very educational curse words, describing something physically and anatomically impossible happening between a fruit, a lump hammer, and several various people who were trying to teach the young woman how to be stealthy.

Tonks, recovering from the start that Harry had given her, smiled to herself. "Blighter knows he's being watched. Doesn't seem too fussed over it either. I wonder why."

Harry made his way down to the back garden in time to meet Tonks and be able to talk to her, despite appearing as if he was talking to himself. He got out the tools he'd need to take care of the garden, as well as give him some cover for what he was actually doing. When he felt Tonks' presence near him he murmured, just loud enough for her to hear him, "I know you're there, Tonks, and I know why you're here too. My Godfather, your Uncle, informed me that I'd likely have watchers since he escaped, and is still 'a deranged mass murderer'. He also told me that Dumbledore would stack the watchers with those he could trust to watch over me an not just be a Ministry puppet."

The young witch smiled to herself, remembering, vaguely, her Uncle Siri. She knew her mum felt that he wasn't guilty, and had some damn good reasons to back up her feelings. She also knew that Minister Fudge was a raving idiot who didn't want his nice cushy world to be disturbed. She whispered to Harry, "You be careful sending anything to dear Uncle Siri. Fudge would love to get a hold of him before you could find proof of his innocence."

The young wizard nodded, then smiled, "I know you, Remus, and Fletcher are watching me, as well as Mrs. Figg. I also know Fletcher should be replaced, as he's usually sleeping off his last overindulgence."

Tonks cursed to herself, "Blimey, Harry, you're taking this better than I thought you would."

Harry smiled as he weeded the garden, "I've found a way to put this exile to my advantage, and figure that while I'm stuck here, I might as well not brood about the unfairness of things. Plus the fact that my 'Family' is on vacation for the next three weeks isn't hurting."

The young witch blinked at this news, "And how're you surviving, without having to get food, Harry?"

The young wizard chuckled, "Mrs. Weasley sends Care Packages every sunday at Midnight." He then gathers all the weeds, standing up and putting the pile of rubbish in a bin, "Plus Hermione sends a few things now and again."

Tonks nods to herself, "Well, if you ever feel the need to talk, let me know, why don'tcha? I can keep you company while Fletcher's snoozing, just to add a bit of extra security."

Harry smiled, "I'd like that. Perhaps I can pick your brain a bit for the essays I need to finish for school as well."

The young witch laughed, softly, "I'd like that, Harry. Well, better get back to patrolling, wouldn't want some git to ambush us as we talk."

With a low chuckle, Harry sighs, "Aye, and I've got to keep up the appearance that I'm following my Aunt's directions." He then moves to another part of the garden and begins weeding.

Gathering all the weeds, Harry deposited them in the composter that his Aunt had purchased, simply for the fact that one of the neighbors had commented on the 'waste' of throwing away the weeds, and how a properly composted always grew better than one that wasn't.

~~ Please R&R ~~


	2. A Fox Amongst Mundanes

Harry Potter and the Tails of Change

Disclaimer : I do not own any of the Harry Potter characters, nor do I own any of the settings that JKR created in Harry's world. Any resemblance to anyone; living, dead, or imagined, is purely coincidental, and not intended on my part.

A/N : This is a work of fiction, and I have altered reality from how JKR wrote things. First off, Nymphadora Tonks is a 6th year when Harry is in his first. Second, this story starts off in the summer between Harry's third and fourth years, so he has met Sirius, and knows he's innocent. Third, I'm having Harry be just a wee bit more intelligent, and have something more of a backbone by this time in his life. This story may include relations between two consenting females, so if that doesn't float your boat, you have been warned here, and can take appropriate action.

Chapter 2 : A Fox Amongst Mundanes

Harry re-entered the house at Privet Drive and cleaned his hands off, glad, for once, not to have his Aunt Petunia hovering over him or his Uncle Vernon acting like an overinflated hippopotamus. He then helped himself to a glass of water from the tap.

That is one thing he knew he couldn't ask his friends to send him. He couldn't risk letting his relatives know he wasn't suffering like they hoped he would. They had left just enough food for him to survive the month that they were spending visiting another of Vernon's extended family. Nothing perishable like milk or cheese, but pretty much bread and crackers.

Remembering the talking to Vernon had given him, Harry smirked, "Won't they be surprised when they come home." He then placed the glass in the drying rack, having used the same glass each time, as to minimize the time needed to hide things from his 'family'.

He then made his way upstairs, to work on his homework, including doing research on his second form, and send letters to his friends, if Hedwig had returned. Entering his room he was greeted with the welcome sight of his snowy familiar. "Hedwig! You made that trip a lot faster than I expected!" The bird hooted playfully, then turned its attention to another avian who was in the room.

Harry turned to see the new visitor, who had been hidden by the door, "Fawkes? What are you doing here?" The magnificent bird gave a happy call and poked a bundle toward Harry. He picked it up and then looked at Hedwig, "You had Fawkes deliver my note?" The Snowy Owl hooted in an affirmative fashion, seeming right proud of herself.

The young wizard then placed the package Fawkes had delivered on his bed and opened it. Inside was a bundle of pictures, a battered notebook, and what appeared to be a mirror with a post-it attached to it, along with a small letter.

He picked up the letter first, and was glad when he did.

**Dear Harry,**

** That's impressive news, what you wrote me about. I didn't know about the problem with the Potion. The Marauders were a bit rushed when we did it ourselves, as we miscalculated the day of the Full Moon and Moony was the one watching the potion.**

** What, no hints, young pup?**

** I've messaged Moony as well and he should be able to talk on his next security rotation.**

** The mirror that I've included, with the note attached to it, is a communication mirror. Your dad and I used it to talk when we had separate detentions. Moony and I did manage to improve it a little, so you can chat with either of us using the mirror. The note includes the activation and deactivation commands.**

** The pictures are ones I found before coming to where I am now. I found a stash of pictures that not only included your parents, but grandparents as well. They were hidden in your old house in Godrick's Hollow.**

** Best Wishes**

** The Loveable Grim**

Harry smiled at Sirius' sign-off and then plucked the mirror out and looked at the note, _"To activate, tap the right top corner with your wand then utter the Marauder name you want to talk to. To deactivate, tap the lower left corner with your wand and utter 'Mischief Managed'."_

He then smiled, held the mirror in his left hand, and tapped the top right corner of the mirror, then uttered 'Padfoot'.

There was a moment then Sirius' image appeared in the mirror and uttered, "Harry! Great to see you again!" The voice sounding a little tinny, as if it were coming from a tiny transistor radio.

Harry smiles, "Likewise, Padfoot. Great gifts, thanks 'Uncle Siri'." He then grinned, "One of the books Professor McGonagall lent me was the one you three used. Still has your handwritten notes in it and all."

The image in the mirror beamed, then shook its head, "Any news on the Traitor front?"

The young wizard shook his head, "No, sadly. Tho the Ministry has me under surveillance right now. Moony, Tonks, and Fletcher are amongst those keeping an eye on me. I learnt your cousin first, as she's still learning Stealth. Curses like a sailor too."

Sirius' image broke into a laugh, "I imagine she would. Dear Nym always seemed dead clumsy, but her other ability would counterbalance that." The image then peers at Harry, "And how'd you discover the other two? Though with Fletcher, it's not too hard to guess."

Harry shook his head, "Nah, man typically takes a nap an hour after he does his first circuit, underneath the rose bushes under my window." Harry snorted, "Man might be under a charm to keep his snores silent but he typically smells of either booze or something young men like me are warned against."

The young wizard then grins, "Moony left hints. I take it he's not too happy with our illustrious Headmaster currently and has been doing his best to find me a way out of this house before my relatives com back from vacation." Seeing the look of indignation growing on his Godfather's face, Harry chuckled, "Molly's been sending care packages every Sunday at Midnight. Hermione has been sending treats as well, when she can."

Sirius' image lets loose a barking laugh, "Have it all figured out, haven't you, pup? Well, be careful with the work on your 'special' Summer Homework. Even though it's essentially Wandless Magic, a lot of things can go wrong."

Harry nodded, "I've already worked to the point I can transform my hands and feet. I took it in tiny steps, working first by joint, then by section of the appendage. I'm following the book's suggestions and being extra cautious. I'm planning on having Moony with me when I try the full transformation to my first form." Seeing a glimmer of curiosity from his Godfather, Harry shook his finger at the image, "I'll let Moony tell you what it is, and then I'll surprise him with the second when you know the first."

The image in the mirror pretended to look outraged, then laughed, "Spoken like a true Marauder, pup. I look forward to hearing all about it. Now go look at those pictures, and enjoy yourself, pup."

Harry nodded, "Until next time, Padfoot." He then tapped the opposite corner with his wand and uttered, "Mischief Managed," and watched the mirror go blank. He then carefully secured the mirror in his trunk, creating a pocket for it from a pair of Dudley's old socks.

He then turned to the thick stack of Wizarding pictures and smiled as the top one showed his father when he was just getting on the Hogwarts Express at the age of eleven. _"Damn, everyone was right, I did look quite a bit like him, though it seems he might have had a few inches on me, back then. Damn Dursleys."_ Harry then happily spent the rest of the afternoon perusing the pictures, which not only had pictures of his father growing up but his mother as well. Lilly's pictures stared out as ordinary non-magical pictures, but there was one Wizarding picture from her first day at Hogwarts. _"Bloody hell. She almost looks to be a twin of Ginny. That's kind of creepy."_

Harry then began studying the image more closely and saw several small differences between his mother and the youngest Weasley. _"Dimples are different, and her eyes seem a bit different as well. Biggest difference I can see is that mum has more attitude showing than Ginny ever has, so far."_ For it was true, even in the small black-and-white image Harry could tell that his mother might have been nervous, but was holding herself ready to take on the Wizarding world and make her place in it.

The young wizard then collected all the photographs and placed them back in the box that Sirius had used to transport them. He then got out the album Hagrid had given him in the Hospital Wing while he was recovering from dealing with Quirrel / Voldemort. Arranging things just right, Harry was able to store both the pictures and the album safely in the box, then package them into his trunk.

Looking at the things in his trunk, Harry shook his head, and murmured, "I really should find a good use for those bloody Lockheart books. Ruddy idiot won't be selling many while in St. Mungo's" The set of seven books foisted upon him and the rest of the school were still in pristine condition, having seldom been opened after the first glance through proved that the books were worthless.

Taking the mirror out again, Harry smiled and tapped the correct corner and called out, "Moony?"

The mirror vibrated in his hands briefly before Remus Lupin's image came into focus and smiled, "Heya pup, good to finally be able to talk without using notes."

Harry smiled, "Aye. Padfoot's package arrived, as you can guess. I just finished going through all the photos he found at Godrick's Hollow."

Moony's image smiled, "Figured as much." Then he looked directly at Harry and tried to look stern, "Padfoot let me know of your special studies this summer. I'm astounded that you would undertake such a thing without any assistance."

Harry laughed, "Ah, but I have assistance." At his former professor's intrigued look, he held up the book that his father had used, "The Marauders have been holding my hand all the way."

Remus' image laughed, "That the same book James used?" At Harry's nod, Remus shook his head and placed his hand over his eyes, "Did it still have our notes in it as well?"

The young wizard chuckled, "Of course it did. Professor McGonagall was extremely thorough, plus it appears that no one used that book after they did, from the amount of dust on the bloody thing."

The werewolf looked through the mirror and smiled, "You taking things carefully, pup? I know you said you wanted to talk in person a couple times, and I'm going to guess one of those will be for when you try the full transformation?"

Harry nodded, "Did Padfoot also tell you the other surprise I told him about in my letter?" The young man's eyes sparkling with mischief as he glanced at the mirror.

Remus shook his head, "No … and why am I suddenly wanting to both throttle your Godfather and have a glass of Firewhiskey?"

The young wizard smiled, "According to my first form, all Animagi have two forms, but typically they don't do the potion as accurately as they should, though I think it's because they don't use Muggle methods to prepare it, like I did, so they never learn about the second."

The image in the mirror is staring at Harry with a gobsmacked look, which draws a belly laugh from Harry, one of the few happy noises Remus had heard from him before this conversation. "You mean that you know both your forms?"

Harry nodded, "The first is Vulpine in nature, but it's magical... As for the second, that's going to be a surprise for both you and my Godfather, Moony."

Moony gazed into the mirror at the image of Harry within, his mind racing a mile a minute, _"Vulpine, yet magical? No … It Can't Be! That's __Impossible__, isn't it?"_ He then looks at the young wizard and smiles, "I'm sure that there'll be a Tail to tell when we meet in person, right Harry?"

The image of the young wizard just shakes its head at the pun, "I'm certain that you can come up with an appropriate nickname when you see it, Moony."

Remus simply shook his head, "We'll talk again, young man, but it's getting on my 'bedtime' and I can feel myself getting grumpy. You have a good night's sleep, for both of us."

Harry nodded, then smiled, "Be safe, Professor. And I look forward to talking more with you. Need to do a bit of research on my second form, though that may have to wait until I get back to Hogwarts." He then de-activated the mirror and put it away in its hiding spot. He then gazed out at the night and the full moon rising above the horizon.

Harry then got out the Monster Book of Monsters, which after a quick soothing 'pet' of its' spine, allowed itself to be opened. Murmuring to himself, he flipped through the pages, "I wonder if there will be any new tricks that I can pull off, once I master my forms? And once I discover what they both are, as well." He stops, briefly, on the listing for Kitsune, reading what's written down.

**Kitsune**

-Fox Spirits known both as good omens and tricksters, malicious demons, and kindly souls. The number of tails they possess is an indication of their power.

-It is said there are two 'classes' of kitsune; Zenko which typically are seen in the role of protectors and teachers, and Yako which take the role of scoundrels and free spirits.

Taking more notes on what he reads, to see if he notices any of those manifesting once he makes the full transformation. He then pages through the book further, seeing if he can find out what his second form is, finally falling asleep after not finding anything that triggered his memory.

~~ Please R&R ~~


	3. Of Wolf and Fox

Harry Potter and the Tails of Change

Disclaimer : I do not own any of the Harry Potter characters, nor do I own any of the settings that JKR created in Harry's world. Any resemblance to anyone; living, dead, or imagined, is purely coincidental, and not intended on my part.

A/N : This is a work of fiction, and I have altered reality from how JKR wrote things. First off, Nymphadora Tonks is a 6th year when Harry is in his first. Second, this story starts off in the summer between Harry's third and fourth years, so he has met Sirius, and knows he's innocent. Third, I'm having Harry be just a wee bit more intelligent, and have something more of a backbone by this time in his life. This story may include relations between two consenting females, so if that doesn't float your boat, you have been warned here, and can take appropriate action.

Chapter 3 : Of Wolf and Fox

Harry woke, not remembering exactly when he'd fallen asleep, but there was a noise coming from the downstairs portion of his relatives house. He gathered up his glasses and checked the date before cursing, to himself, _"Someone must not have noticed that there was someone home and decided to break in."_

He then slipped out of his bed and stretched, still in the clothing he'd fallen asleep in. He then got out his wand and snuck out of his room and peered downstairs, trying to see if it was a robber or a Wizard. Hearing a feminine voice curse a blue streak as a 'Clunk' announced the meeting of someone's foot with a door jam, Harry smiled to himself, _"Wonder why Tonks is here, now?"_ He then spoke in a clear, quiet voice, "Wotcher?"

Tonks let loose with another stream of educational curse words before shaking her head, "Wotcher, Harry. Was coming to see you, something's come up." She then stopped attempting to be stealthy and sat at the dining room table, "Come, sit down, and we can talk."

At the Trainee Auror's words Harry's blood went cold, _"Something happened to Sirius?"_ He then entered the dining room and sat opposite the young Witch, "What's up, Tonks? Something must be really bad for you to break from your standing orders."

The young woman nodded as she watched Harry sit down, "Well, first off, to get your mind off the most obvious reason, Padfoot is still at large, and quite safe." She let herself chuckle as she watched the relief spread across the young Wizard's face, "The bad news is that we're going to have to pack you up right now and get you to somewhere safe." She then paused and looked into Harry's deep green eyes before continuing, "The wards here are going to fail shortly, and I'm surprised they haven't already..."

Harry looked at Tonks with a mixture of fear and surprise, "Why, what could happen to cause them to do that?"

Tonks sighed, "This isn't easy, Harry. We just learned that your Aunt and Uncle were murdered this morning, on their way out to the theatre. Your cousin might not survive either."

The young Wizard's jaw dropped in surprise, "M-m-murdered? Why? Who would have done that?"

The Trainee Auror shrugged her shoulders, "Don't know. Some Muggle Terrorist group is claiming responsibility. They claim that your Uncle's company is responsible for a lot of nasty things and they were taking him out as a 'message' to those who would act like he did."

Harry shook his head, dumb-struck, hen looked at Tonks, "They sure it was Muggles that did the deed? There are some elements of our society who wouldn't think twice about killing them, and I do know at least one Death Eater who knows my relative's name."

Tonks blinked at this, then blanched, "I'll tell Moody, he'll know who else to ask." She then looked at Harry, "You ready to leave?"

The young Wizard nodded and smiled, "I never fully unpacked my trunk, just in case I had to scamper or hide the stuff. All my homework's done too, gonna surprise Hermione when she reads my next letter." He then looked at Tonks, "Where're we headed, Tonks?"

The young Witch smiled, "We've a secure house set up, one under Fidelius Charm, as well as nearly every other ward and charm that we could get set up." She then led Harry upstairs, "Let's get your stuff, and then we can portkey to the arrival spot and I can cue you into the wards and the Secret."

Harry nodded as he made sure that he did indeed have all the things that he wanted to keep, checking under the loose floor board under his bed. He then felt a tingle and looked at Tonks, "Let's get the hell out of here, I think I just felt the Wards here drop."

Tonks nodded, then produced a small hoop, "Grab hold, Harry." She then drew her wand and tapped the hoop, saying, "Portus!"

Harry felt as if a fishing hook were attached to his navel and then the world seemed to twist into dimensions that weren't normally viewable.

Appearing at the other end, Harry finds himself sprawling, Tonks landing atop him in a slightly compromising position. He blushes fiercely as he extricates himself and offers her a hand up, neither of them noticing a small flash of magic when their hands touch. "Sorry about that, Tonks. First time doing that, but it seems portkeys hate me the same way the Floo does."

Tonks smiled as she allowed Harry to help her up, "Not your fault, Harry. Glad to know someone else who doesn't get along with those two transportation systems." She then straightened her cloak, brushing the dust off it before producing a piece of paper and handing it to Harry.

Harry looked a little oddly at the piece of paper, which read, **"Nymphadora Tonks lives at 69 Wyndham Lane,"** He then looked at Tonks with a question visible in his eyes.

Chuckling, Tonks says, "You got that committed to memory?" At Harry's nod she smiled, "Then tell me what you see when you look at the property in front of us."

Still looking puzzled, Harry looked at the property in front of him and was surprised to see a rather stately looking house seem to grow from the ground, though the first thought when he sees it completely was that it reminded him of the few furtive glances he'd had of the movie his cousin was watching called 'The Addams Family'. He then looked at Tonks, "Your place?"

Tonks nodded, "Part of what my mum managed to keep, despite being disowned by her family for marrying a Muggle." She then gestured to the wrought iron gate, "Shall we go inside?"

Harry smiled and then pressed open the half of the gate closer to him, then waited for Tonks to come through, then closed and fastened the gate, that action causing a spark, signifying that the main wards were active. He then gazed around at the property, the sense of oddness only magnifying with each thing he noticed. And that was saying something, seeing as this was a very Magical house, though in a different way than the Burrow, "Must have been interesting, growing up here."

The young Witch nodded as she led Harry into the house, "Aye it was. Mum gave this place to me when I graduated from Hogwarts. She and dad moved to another property, as they said they no longer needed all the space that was here." She then shrugged, "I'm just glad we were able to secure this place well enough to bring you here, Harry." She then pointed to the right, "Your rooms are over that way, along with your own bathroom." Pointing to the left, "I'm over on this side, for the time being."

Nodding, Harry smiled then, greatly daring, kissed Tonks on her cheek, "Thanks, Tonks. You're the best. I'll go unload my stuff and get about settling in." He then headed back to where his rooms were, grateful that Tonks couldn't see his blush for his daring. Needless to say, he also missed Tonks' staring after him, a gobsmacked look on her face.

Sometime later a house elf popped into Harry's room, startling the young Wizard. The elf giggled then said, "Mistress is telling Vilma that you is needed in the dining hall for dinner."

Harry nodded, "Thanks, Vilma. Could you lead me there? I need to learn how to navigate this house."

The house elf curtseyed and smiled, "Vilma would be glad to help kind Wizard." The elf then looked at Harry and said, "You is friend of Dobby, sir?"

Nodding, Harry smiled, "Aye. You know Dobby, Vilma?"

Vilma bobbed her head energetically, "I is glad you is releasing Dobby from the Malfoys. Dobby now needs a House to belong to, or else Dobby is gonna be losing his magic."

Harry blinked, then started thinking, "Would you know if I could be the House that Dobby is bound to? Something tells me I will need a dedicated elf when I reach my majority."

The house elf bounced on her toes as she began leading Harry to the dining room, "I is thinking your House be quite respectable enough for Dobby, good sir. I is going to be asking Dobby when I is seeing Dobby again."

Laughing as he enters the dining room, Harry smiles when he sees a small round table for two set up, Tonks already seated, he smiles at the pretty Auror Trainee before sitting down across from her and surveying what's on the table already.

The table seemed to have a little bit of everything that he liked, as well as a few dishes he didn't recognize, but thought they might be something Tonks had encountered out of school. Harry looked at Tonks and tilted his head, "Am I right in guessing that no one else will be joining us any time soon?"

Tonks nodded, "Albus thought it best to keep those who know where you are to absolute minimum. It's jut me, Moody, Lupin, Albus, and you that know this house is here. Uncle Sirius knew, but thanks to the Fidelius, he doesn't any more." She then looked at Harry, "I hope you don't mind being alone with me, Harry."

Harry laughed, shaking his head no, "Hardly, Tonks." The images running through his head less than innocent, remembering the one time that the Twins had pranked the young witch, causing her to have to streak to her House, which was halfway across the school from where the prefects showers were. He had innocently stumbled across the scene, under his Invisibility Cloak, when he was wandering the halls past curfew.

He had taken pity on the young woman, seeing her state of agitation, and had left his school cloak where she could find it easily. He did, however, keep an eye on her on her way to the Hufflepuff common room, watching her back just in case someone tried to cause her trouble.

When Tonks had returned his school cloak the next day, saying she'd 'found it in the halls', Harry had smiled at her and said, "I'm glad it was where it was, and thank you," so quietly only the young witch could hear him.

Tonks had blushed, prettily, her hair shifting color between the 'normal' bubblegum pink and a red so deep that it made the Weasley's look pale.

Over the next year and a half, until Tonks graduated, Harry's second year, she and Harry had a good relationship, helping each other out when the opportunity arose. Both Ron and Hermione were a bit surprised, but Hermione was ecstatic when Harry was able to share some of the things Tonks showed him from 6th and 7th years, both of them helping Tonks out revising for her exams and the older witch helping them understand things that were stymying them.

Harry smiled again at Tonks, "Shall we dig in? We can leave the discussion until we're both fed well enough that we're not competing with our stomachs to be heard."

Tonks nodded, smiling as she looked at the young wizard in front of her, _"He's definitely quite handsome, in a young way. Though his eyes definitely are older than they should be. He has seen more in his short life than most adult Aurors, and has stayed both Light and Sane throughout it all, even with his rotten relatives and Voldemort's' followers mucking his life up."_

As they ate and traded glances, both Harry and Tonks had similar thoughts running through their heads, mostly along the lines of: I wonder what they're thinking? And : I wonder if they're thinking about me.

When they had finished up their desserts, Harry got up and went around the table to help Tonks up, smiling at her. When their hands connected a bright golden glow surrounded both of them, a 'snap' of air heard as the magic took hold of them for a brief moment, laying traces of a powerful bond, based on magic, souls, and hearts.

Harry recovered first, shaking his head as he tried to come back to reality from where the magic had taken him. He looks at Tonks, his eyes wide in surprise, meeting her own startled look, and says, "What the bloody blue blazes was that? Why do I feel the need to hold you close? Why do I feel your magic twining with mine?"

Tonks looks up at Harry, bewildered for just a moment at the new sensations, then shakes her head, "Something almost unheard of happened, Harry. When you touched me, a Magical Bond formed. I think I need to talk to Albus about this."

The young Wizard looked at Tonks, "Why? What do you think happened?"

The young Witch shook her head, "I don't want to speculate. But if I'm right, you'll come into your inheritance now, instead of at seventeen." She gets up and strides over to the fireplace, all evidence of clumsiness gone, she then grabs a pinch of Floo Powder and, casting it into the flames, says, "Headmaster's Quarters."

Hundreds of klicks away a rather aged Wizard is settling down after having his dinner. He glances at his fireplace when it announces an incoming call, "Yes, Nymphadora?" Smiling as the young Witch scowled briefly at him.

Tonks' head looked at the Headmaster briefly then said, "Albus, could you do me a great favor, and check the Records Room, please?"

Dumbledore looked a little surprised by this request, "Why, Nymphadora?"

The Trainee Auror looked imploringly at her former Headmaster, "Because something unusual happened when Harry and I touched our hands. I want to be certain I'm reading the signs correctly before I take a step that is't required."

Albus' eyes widened at this news, then checked his own records, a copy of the ones in the Ministry, and shook his head, muttering, "This makes things a bit odd." He then looks at Tonks' image, "Nymphadora, according to my records, you and young Harry are Married... What it says here is that this type of Bond hasn't occurred since the Founders."

Tonks' image goes pale, "I'm married to Harry? Not that I mind, but this is quite sudden." She then looks at Albus, "Anything else you can tell me, Albus?"

The old Wizard shook his head, resignedly, "Nothing, except that it appears as though there might be another Witch involved in the Bond, but her name hasn't appeared yet." He then looks at Tonks and says, "You and Harry are going to have to come to terms with what this Bond means." He stroked his beard, "You will probably be able to use some, if not all, of his Gifts, and visa versa. And your Magic will be boosted, if you can complete the Bond..."

The young Witch's eyes widened at this news, then shook her head, "Thanks, Albus. And thanks for the info."

Albus smiled as they image in his fire place faded away, contemplating what this meant, as well as the reality that he suspected who the third in the bond would be.

Back at 69 Wyndham Lane, Tonks got to her feet, shaking her head, then looks back at Harry, "Sit down, Harry. The news I have to tell you isn't going to be easy." She led the young man into the living room, settling him on a large, overstuffed, couch, sitting beside him and looking in his eyes, a stray thought crossing her mind, _"You could get lost in those eyes, easily."_

Harry looks at Tonks, his hands going to her knees, trying to show that he's ready to listen to what she's got to say, the contact bringing a strange peace of mind to him, as if her presence was a balm for what was bothering him.

Tonks smiled at the gesture, a corner of her mind gaining a similar peace, she then said, "I asked Albus to look something up in the Records, to verify what I suspected." She then sighed and put her hands over his, "According to the Records, which are Magically updated, we're married."

The young Wizard looks startled, then sighed, "Of course we are. When has my life ever been 'normal' or simple? What does this mean for me, and for us?"

The Trainee Auror grinned at the 'us', "Well, first off, it means you're now officially considered an adult, and your Inheritance should be coming to you shortly." She then raised a hand to caress his cheek, "It also means that I now have to teach you about what a Metamorphmagus is, and how to shift your appearance. And you get to teach me any Gifts you have."

Harry nods, then tilts his head, "How is this going to change things? I mean, I just turned fourteen.. What is required to finalize the bond?" He looks into Tonks' eyes, "Is there anything else that you can tell me?"

Tonks nods, "First off, to cement the bond, we need to consummate our marriage, but if what Albus told me is true, there is another Witch involved in this Bond, so we may be able to hold off on that aspect until she is revealed to us."

Harry blushed at the caress, then looked, briefly, at his hands, then with a tilt of his head, he studies Tonks' face, "Does this mean I also get to see the 'real' you?" He then raises his hand to caress her cheek, "And I think you'll also be teaching me about yourself, won't you?" The connection that's starting between their minds allows him to show her just how much he does care for her, and that he would never betray her.

The two were startled apart by the appearance of Hedwig, who swooped in and landed on the table in front of the couch. The Snowy Owl then presented her leg, where a rather thick letter was attached.

Harry smiled and offered his familiar a few Owl Treats as he retrieved the letter, "Thanks, girl." He then slit open the band that secured it, which bore the Gringotts' seal. He then blinked as a bluish green aura settled over him as he unrolled the parchment.

_**Dear Lord Potter**_

_** We at Gringotts wish to congratulate you on your successful Bonding and Marriage. You may now access your Family Vault, and the monies stored in your Trust Vault have already been transferred to said Vault. We require your presence shortly to hear the reading of your parent's will, which we found in the Vault.**_

_** We also wish to speak to you about your True Inheritance and will be providing a Heritage Scroll to determine if you truly are the Heir to the Vaults which just recently reactivated.**_

_**Yours in Fellowship,**_

_**Ragnok, Chief Goblin at Gringotts, London**_

Harry looked at Tonks in surprise, "What's this mean?"

Tonks looked at the letter, her eyebrows raising to meet her hairline, "Harry … It looks as if you might have more titles than you know about. I would suggest scheduling the reading as soon as possible, so as not to offend the Goblins."

The young Wizard nodded, then getting out a piece of parchment. Scrawling a response to Ragnok, stating his desire to meet at the earliest convenient time. He then looked to Hedwig, "Hedwig, do you mind taking this message to Ragnok, at Gringotts? You don't have to wait for a response."

The Snowy Owl hooted and took the letter and made her way gracefully out of the house.

Harry sighed, then looks at Tonks, "Now, back to the other conversation." He looks down at his hands, "Despite how badly I was treated, growing up, one of the lessons that did stick with me, from my Muggle upbringing, is that in a relationship, it is the woman who chooses when things happen, when it comes to her body. Being a horny teen, I would very much like to see you naked, as yourself, and learn how to be the best partner I can be for you. But, I am willing to wait, and have several dates, before anything serious happens." He then looks up into Tonks' eyes, "Just seeing you as yourself is enough for me, right now, if that's all you're ready for.

Tonks smiles as she listens to Harry, blushing when he gets to the 'horny teen' part, then gazes back into his eyes as he finishes talking, "Merlin, Harry, whomever imparted that lesson to you made you serious boyfriend material. Most males, in my experience, try to push for things to happen before both parties are ready." She then closes her eyes, briefly, her features slowly blurring until they shift back to her natural self; her hair lengthening until it reaches her ass, the color of her hair shifting to a natural strawberry blonde, her facial features gaining an edge of the beauty that is present in her aunt, her shirt tightening significantly as her bosom swells, her eyes shifting in color until they're a soft violet in color, and finally her figure becomes more hourglass in shape, the work out that she undergoes during her training definitely adding beauty to her already attractive figure.

Opening her eyes, she gazes at Harry, then smiles as she notices his blush, "This is the natural me, Harry."

Harry smiles, then, embracing his inner Gryffindor, gets up and approaches Tonks, "You are an amazing woman, 'Dora, and I find myself awed that I get to spend the rest of my life with you." He then sits next to her, "I think that I can understand why you chose to hide behind a facade, hiding what you really look like."

The young Auror smiles as Harry sits next to her, "Between the idiots that only wanted to be my friend for who I could look like, the jealous girls who wanted my figure, and the fact that certain aspects of this figure don't lend themselves to covert Auror work, I tend to change what I look like.. When I interned, briefly, with Moody, he saw through my act, and complimented me on getting folks to underestimate me.." She then grinned, "He even suggested that I exaggerate certain aspects when I'm in the public, as the populous will generally only look at the surface, never guessing that by being clumsy I'm usually more able to see things normal folks might miss."

The young Wizard nods, "I'm guessing that one thing you need to notice is anything you can use to enhance your 'image' as a klutz, which in turn would make you more aware of hiding places for ambushes."

Tonks smiles, then, gently turning Harry's head so she can look into his eyes, she bends forward and kisses him, passionately, on the lips, her hands moving to play with his hair, internally smiling as she feels the passion returned, both physically and through the growing bond between them. After breaking the kiss, holding it as long as she could, she murmurs, "I do think we should consummate our bonding before you return to Hogwarts, but I also want to see about having a few 'safe' dates before then, so that we can get to know more about each other, and possibly get a hint who might be the third in our group."

Harry nods, after his eyes clear from the befuddlement that the intense kiss brought to him, "I think that's an awesome idea, 'Dora." He then tilts his head, "You don't mind me calling you 'Dora, do you? It just came to me, after I realized your last name isn't really 'Tonks' any more, though I won't require you to change your name, unless there's a Tradition associated with it."

The young Auror shakes her head no, "It's what I like my partners to call me, and I've seen you that way since you helped me out after the Twins pranked me in your first year."

The young Wizard smiles, "I'm honored you see me that way." He then blushes, badly, "I'll also admit that that episode helped me when I was attempting to learn how to produce a Patronus, last year."

'Dora tilts her head, "I had heard you could produce a corporeal Patronus, which is an awesome feat for someone of any age, but that it was strong enough to drive every Dementor that was at Hogwarts scurrying back to their posts at Azkaban."

Harry looks up at 'Dora, "I hadn't heard that tid-bit." He then points his wand off to the right, before exclaiming, "Expecto Patronum," and grinning when a huge white Stag leapt from his wand and came to stand next to 'Dora, where it pranced around briefly, as if looking for trouble, before coming over to the couple and nosing at both their hands.

The young Auror blinks at the size and solidity of the patronus, then is more amazed when she is actually able to pet the representation of Harry's happy thoughts, "Harry, once again you amaze me. Only one in a Thousand Wizards are able to get this much definition in their patronus, and I wouldn't be too surprised to learn that as your core grows in strength, that your patronus couldn't become solid enough to carry a rider."

The young Wizard blinks at this news, before petting 'Prongs' on the muzzle, "One more thing that makes me special, awesome." He then looks to 'Dora, "I'm going to write my friends, and let them know some of what's going on, if that's okay?" He then grins, "Plus, I would like for you to look over my homework, especially my Transfiguration, as it'll allow me to begin enumerating the Gifts that I know that I have … at least before Gringotts does their tests."

'Dora blinks, then shakes her head, "What naughtyness have you been up to, Husband?"

Harry grins, cheekily, "Look at the extra credit report for a hint, and add in the fact that I want Remus, or 'Moony' as he's also known, to come help me finalize the report, and you should be able to deduce what I've been up to, this summer."

'Dora grins, then shakes her head, "Go write your friends, Harry, we'll continue talking later."

~~ Please R&R ~~

A/N 1 : A note for those with questions on how some Animagus seem to have only one form: Those who go through with it properly supervised will have two forms, such as Prof McGonagall, but those who are trying to do it on their own, especially if they are in danger of getting in detention and mis-timing steps, such as the Marauders and Rita Skeeter, are more likely to only find out the one that's 'easier' for them to assume. I'm also going to do another slight AU bit and have a special charm be the reason that the flames for the properly prepared potions to be simmered down at the right time. Harry got lucky in that it's easy to do that with the stove in the Dursley's house.

A/N 2 : So far I've only envisioned Harry's Animagus forms, though the species and size of the second one isn't set in stone. Suggestions for Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Fred, and George are welcome. Might also sneak Luna and Nevile in there. Name for the new group of mischief makers is also welcome … Though if they are all canids in one of their forms, I'm partial to 'The Pack'. ^_^

Possible Pairings : RW / DG, NL / HG, GiW / LL, FW / AS, GeW / KB (( Suggestions of a triad between HP, NT, & ? ))


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